Fatty acids (FAs) have a great variety of uses, including as supplements for human nutrition and health, as ingredients in cosmetic treatments, and as precursors to biofuels such as biodiesel. Considering the ability to readily convert FAs into useful biofuels, especially as an alternative to the extraction and processing of traditional fossil fuels, there is a demand for efficient production of FAs at industrial scales. Currently, large quantities of FAs for this purpose are produced from the hydrolysis of waste vegetable oil. Additional research efforts have addressed FA production in cell cultures, including the use of algae and bacteria, such as E. coli, to produce FAs. Various methods to enhance FA production include the application of genetic engineering and biomedical engineering approaches. However, cell-based FA production requires maintenance of various culture parameters over time to maintain cell viability and to optimize production, which increases overall cost.
Accordingly, a need remains for the efficient, scalable production of FAs that is not reliant on maintenance of culture conditions for cell viability.